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"I went to the woods because I wished to live
deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not
learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had
not lived."—Henry David Thoreau

When Thoreau escaped the center of Concord, Massachusetts in
the 1840s to live in a cabin by Walden Pond, he, like many of us today, was
endeavoring to remove himself from the hustle and bustle of modern city life to
find space for reflection. He
spent two years living in solitude, surrounded by nature, working on what would
become his classic, Walden.

One of our core beliefs here at deliberateLIFE is that our
relationship to nature and the world around us matters. We believe that there is intrinsic value
to spending time outdoors in environments that are untouched by man. Stepping away from our controlled
surroundings into expanses too grand to bottle, embrace, or capture in a simple
photograph—we can again find ourselves in the quiet, and be reminded that we
are only one part of the grand story of the universe.

This issue is our Ode to the Great Outdoors and to the
wonderful months of summer. It is the season when those of us in the Northern
Hemisphere venture out a little further, for a little longer, to enjoy all that
awaits us outside. From summer
cocktails in the sun to growing your own rain-fed produce, we hope this issue inspires
a few yard-to-table dinner parties and a good deal of laughter with friends.

And because much of summer’s lore is
built on the magical warm days of care-free youth, in the Perspectives section various
contributors and readers share memories and reflections on summer and the great
outdoors. We hope these inspire
recollections of your own happy memories of sun–drenched days and motivate you
to get out and explore once more.

Our deliberate:TRAVEL section takes us to Asia, where one of
our wanderlust writers shows us a window into Cambodia—a stunning country with rich
and complex cultural history. We
believe travel is a great way to expand one’s horizons while also supporting
the local economy, so check out the Visit and Volunteer pages for information
on places for you to patronize or volunteer at while in Cambodia.

This summer, keep a journal as you camp, hike, or stroll
through a park. You may not end up
writing the next Walden Pond but you
may find that taking the time to stop and reflect helps reinvigorate, inspire, and
sooth the soul. Captured thoughts
you’d like to share? Send us an
e-mail at hello@deliberateLIFEmag.com.